Control for clutches



L. S. LIBBRECHT.

CONTROL FOR CLUTCHES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1921.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

El \Y 1 If I JP M /7- 7; fig .1'

UNITED STATES LAWRENCE S. LIBBRECHT, OF FORT JENNINGS, 01110.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CONTROL FOR CLUTCHES.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Application filed May 13, 1921. Serial No. 469,089.

To alZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAwnENon. S. Lin- BRECHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Jennings, in the countyv of Putnam and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controls for Clutches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, refer-- ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the operation of many kinds of ma chinery, especially farm machinery, where threshers, hullers, shredders and the like are placed at a distance from the motor,- as when the motor is an explosive engine and the driven machine is in a barn,the usual plan is to employ two men, one to operate the machine, the other to attend the engine. The objections to this arrangement are the necessary expense and the fact that the operator, in emergencies, is not always able to make the engineer hear when the machine should be suddenly stopped. The present invention is designed to overcome the objections here indicated, and, more particularly, to furnish devices whereby the operator of such a machine may himself, without the intervention of an engineer. stop and start his machineat will, without throwing off belts or disturbing the running of the engine. A further object of my invention is to provide a structure of the character indicated which may be detachably secured to and utilized by many engines already in use. To these ends, my invention consists of the devices, construction,

and arrangement of parts hereinafter dethe usual driving-shaft, with a pulley therei trated or further described. Assume also that the pulley is thrown into and out of engagement with its shaft by means of a clutch of any preferred construction. Now. in the accompanying drawings a horizontallv movable clutch-member is indicated by tlio numeral 1. This clutch member is pivoted, as at 2, between the'extremities of two arms 3-3, of a lever 4, of the first. class, fulcrumed, as at 5, on a frame-work A secured toand projecting from the side'of the frame B of the engine, so that the lever 4 is located in operative relation to the clutch of the engineshaft. The frame A may be built up of stout strap iron, and is detachably secured by bolts a-a to the frame B of the engine. (See Fig. I.) The horizontal swing of the lever 4 moves the clutch into and out of engagement. The movement of the lever 4 is effected by the swing of a. bell-crank lever 6 which swings in a vertical plane and which is fulcrumed, as at 7, upon a bracket 8 projecting downwardly from and forming part of frame A. The vertical arm of the bell-crank 6 is pivoted, as at 9, t one end of a link 10, the other end of which link is pivotally connected, as at 11, with the end of the lever 4 opposite the clutch. It will be seen that the vertical swing of the bell-crank will, through the link 10, cause thehorizontal swing of the lever 4 and, consequently, a corresponding throw of the clutch-member. The vertical swing of the bell-crank 6 is obtainedthrough a vertical connecting rod 12, the lower end of which is pivotally connected, as at 13, to the horizontal arm of the bell-crank, the upper end of the connecting-rod being pivotally connected, as at 14, to a brace or arm 15, secured to and projecting horizontally from a lever 16. This lever swings in a vertical plane and is fulcrumed at its middle, as at 17, upon the upper end of a standard 18 which is mounted upon the frame A close to the body or frame B of the engine. 19 and 20 are stout cords or wires secured respectively to the upper and lower ends of the lever 16. These cords or wires lead to within convenient reach of the operator of the driven machine, where they may be attached t a. lever like the lever 16' or connected to and passed around a suitable pill ley with a suitable handle so that the swing of such lever, or the turn of the pulley, will cause the upper and lower wires to move in opposite directions. It will be seen that through the levers 4, 6 and 16 and the connecting rods 10 and 12, the movement to and fro ofthe wires 19 and 20 will throw the clutch 1 into and out of engagement as may be desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A clutch operating mechanism, comprising, in combination, a clutch, a horizontally disposed lever of the first class engaged with the clutch, a vertically disposed bell-crank, pivotal connections between said lever and the bell-crank, a vertically disposed lever, pivotal connections between the latter lever and the bell-crank, and flexible members leading from opposite ends of said latter lever. 1

2. In a' device of the described character, a clutch-member, a lever of the first class operatively connected with the clutch-memher, a vertically disposed bell-crank, a vertically disposed lever of the first class having an arm projecting in the plane of its movement, said several levers being arranged to swing at right-angles to each other, pivotal connections between the bell-crank and the lever first mentioned and between the bell-crank and said arm, and flexible elements connected withthe extremities of said arm-carrying lever.

3. A structure as described in claim 2,,in combination with a frame which supports the several levers and their connections mentioned in said claim, said frame being adapted for detachable connection with the frame of an engine.

In testimony whereof I afli-x my signature inpresence of two witnesses. LAWRENCE S. LIBBRECHT.

Witnesses: i i a O. O. RoLrH, ARNOLD M. LIBBREUHT. 

